For Love and Money:

The Impact of Marriage on Economic Well-Being

November 2007
report by the Heritage Foundation

1. Married men tend to have greater earnings than men in cohabiting relationships. full details
2. Married individuals are more likely to own homes and stocks than peers who are single or divorced. full details
3. Marriage is associated with greater likelihood of attaining affluence. full details
4. Among individuals nearing retirement age, being married is associated with maintaining household wealth. full details
5. Among individuals who rent, married individuals are more likely to apply for mortgages than peers who are single. full details
6. Married-couple households are more likely to hold savings, checking, or money accounts than households headed by peers who are single. full details
7. Among low-income households, married households are more likely to accumulate savings than non-married households. full details
8. Among children of divorced parents, those whose mothers remarried are the least likely to experience poverty. full details
9. Married individuals are less likely to default on debt than peers who are divorced. full details
10. Marriage appears to offset the negative effects of a disadvantaged family background on economic well-being for women. full details

January 2nd, 2008